The use of weapons containing depleted uranium threatens to contaminate soil and water bodies with toxic metals. Then harmful substances through food chains will enter the human body, said doctor of biology, head of the laboratory of medical and environmental dosimetry and radiation protection at AF Tsyba Valery Stepanenko.
“Now we can say with certainty that the main danger of using depleted uranium weapons is environmental pollution (both soil and water bodies),” he said. he declares.
Stepanenko explained that depleted uranium is obtained from natural uranium, it consists of three radioactive isotopes that decay into other radioactive elements. Its radioactivity is lower than that of natural uranium, but it is also toxic.
Depleted uranium shells were used by the United States in the Persian Gulf in 1991, as well as in combat in Bosnia, Serbia and Iraq.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier that if the collective West started using nuclear-based weapons, Russia would be forced to respond.
Plans to transfer depleted uranium shells to Ukraine had previously been announced by Britain’s Undersecretary of Defense Annabelle Goldie.